Charging valve in refrigeration apparatus



oct. 21, 1952 i, M, MAYl 2,614,400Y

CHARGING VALVE IN REFRIGERATON APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1950 42 SHEETS-SHEET l Lfi t6 ----20a 7 12 Ffaa 6 Fraz IN VEN TOR.

Oct. 21, 1952 E, M, MAY 2,614,400

CHARGING VALVE `IN REJFRIlIGEIR-'IIONv APPARATUS Filed Jan. e, 195o 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 52 5] 47 3 430 46a 5a 45 4 47 54a l v 18 I Y 46a 49 6 INVENTOR. 1716.8 45a 47 A 43 53 54a Patented Oct. 2.1, A1952 2,614,400 yoHA'RGnxTG. VALVE 1N REFRIGERATON APPARATUS Edward M. May, Detroit, Mich., assignor to' Meco# vPilot Manufacturing CompanyrDfetroit, Mich., a corporation Aoi Michigan ,Application January e, 1950,:,Seia1nm131,075 1 is claims.

VThis Iinvention 'rela-tes Y,torefrigers'rtion vappara-- tus of the closed Acircuit compressor-condenserexpander type and 'particularly to such apparatus Vin which the motor-#driven compressor is hermetcally enclosed, either" partially or completely, and vexpansion of 'the 'refrigerant "is .ef-

kfected through a restricted passage of fixed capacity, such, for example' as a capillary tube; l

'In refrigeration apparatus 'of 'the character speci'ed means havev been vprovided .for Vthejp'urpose of 'facilitating' 'the evacuation 'fof air and moisture from the' interior o the system and charging in of refrigerant'and lubricating oil; land in the Vcase of 'systems having 1capillary expansion means Vvthe Vcompressor unit v'has v been provide a refrigeration apparatus' .of fthe character specied having means for facilitating the vacuating and charging of ,the s'ystem 'that .are

' lvery simple structurally, .susceptible of .manufacture vat lovv cost,l adaptable tolcon'fpre'ssor' units varying` in construction and's'usc'eptible, 'in use,

of easy andrapidmanipulation.

AWith the stated'objlect inv view thelnventiori consists in'certainnovelfforfns.of valve. andconduit vdevice'sand combinations .thereof Withc'ompre'ss'orY lmeans Whichfvvill be set forth and explained, in the. course of l .the following" j description of specific preferred embodiments .shownin the accompanying drawings,` and. then .particularly pointed `out in appendedclaims.

Fig. 1 is a, view ofa .refrigeration systemembodying the invention and illustrating-'the manner of. use thereofjtoelfect'evacuationand charg-y ingof the system, so'rnisiparts of'thesystembeirg shown diagrammatically.andthers1in cross .scn.

Fig. -2 an .elargee'tachc view ini axial,

section of the evacuating andch'arging .vlve device included in Fig. '1b1u't 'wlth"the:valve velements 'closedasin normal operationpfithes'ys- .'Figs. `3 and 4 are, frespedtivelmlleftfend .and right end elevations f '.the'. valve Vshown .nlEigi ;2. .F ig."5 isa face view oftheIsheet-mtal,stampretaining clip'of the valve device.

Y 2 Fig.` -'6- is a view Lsimilar to Flg.j1 showing .Jan embodiment y'o-f the invention in a refrigerati-ng' `systex-n in which the hermeticall-y .closed cham- -ber thel lconuoressofr is enclosed oonstitute's"fal part -of the high :side oi lthe system.' `lFig. 7 isanaxial sectional view lof la` modified fform of lcharging .and evacuati'ng `valve:dev-ice I `for use Ain a system lik'e that shown :in -Figl J., tthe modified device @being `construeted to 4:permit evacuation of .the -system either bywsepara'te vacuum pump or by the refrigerant compressor Bfis another caxial `sectional IView yof fthe fitting shown in Fig'. '7 with the valves thereof in the/positions' theyloccupy `during evacuation.

Referring in -detail to fthe Yconstructions illus-A trated, and first lto that shown in lli'gsgl-v in' elusive, JI generally ldesignates a motor-driven compressor yunit-comprising ya compressor 12, 'have ing intake I'and discharge ports at -3 and `,I,-f-re spectively, and having a casing or dome structure '5 'Whichfhermetically encloses the.compressor,- in accordance YWitlji familiar practice, 4with -the iintake port 1 3 thejcompressor i inlcommunication with lI ltue" 'iifiterior'gcharnlzaerof theF-dome. A

vA fvalvejfitting generally designated by w"the numeral 16 has "alnhambered "body'fstructure -comprising va mainpart f I andathreaded nipple g8 tightly 1secured, as by bra-zing, Lin 'a `recessgof partV 'l TThe' body"structure lhas one end secured in .an aperture"in'fthe dome E5 with '1a joint-renderedfhermetically tight-byfbrazing. The {body v part Iisformedwit'h aninterior chamber fdis-l posed "between oppositely facing valve :seats im and II` formed' in one "with the body.

"A passage IZqextendsthrough ynimrale'-58 and. vopens, vlfreelyinto chamber 19. A fsecond'fpassage I'3` canicommunicate through valve seat jl Y with chamber 1.3 and ',is'j in ,open 4c0111.111.111.110ailorn1with the winterior off j the casing Aor dome. hart' of the compressor unit. L, 7'

. A third ,passage I 4 ofbody1]',1Qa1LCQmmllnicate withchamber' .9 ytlnfough' valveseat I'I andcan @gemme 'tnegatmospherei or ,be connected. ,with other apparatus operates with' the :seat ftfhiseryalves forme@ tels other fend. is Similarly Connectdste .the .1=. reflet port 4 of the compressor. Tube I8 has a measure y sion coil. f

of elastic iiexibility which permits 'endwise movement of valve I relative to seat I9. The inner end of valve member I5 is formed with a circumferential ridge I5a to support the inner end of the valve in approximate axial alignment with the outer end. The valve I5 has its inner end threaded internally to cooperate with the threaded stem of a. valve I9 which is disposed in passage I4 to cooperate with the valve seat Il. Valve I9 is formed with a socket I9a to receive a wrench. By clock-wise rotation of valve I9, valve I5 being held against rotation by tube I8, the two valves I5 and I9 can be drawn together to close them on their oppositely facing seats IU and II, while rotation .of valve I9. inv

the opposite directionl serves to open the Valves. The end of valve body I which projects into the chamber of dome 5 is fitted with a detachable spring clip 29. This clip has a pair of arms 29a which engage a circumferential groove Ia in body 1 andyieldingly secure the clip to the body. The clip also has arms Zlbvwhich embrace tube I8 and, when the valves ,arefopened, serve as a resilient abutment thatopposes movement of valve I5 from passage' VI3 and thus insures the opening of valve I9... Clip 29, being yieldingly secured on body 'I, can readilybe detached from it to permit removalof the valve I5 from the body should there be Aoccasion to do so before the dome is nallysealed in the process of manufacture.

The passage I2 of the valve body structure is connected bya `tube 2l with a condenser 22 which in turn is connectedwith a capillary tube Aexpander 23. The capillary-tube is connected to an evaporator 2t which in turn communicates through tube, with the interior of dome 5. Thus it will be seen that theV valve fitting 6 is interposed in the `high side of the refrigeration system between the compressor and the consuch as a vacuum pump and then `introduce the charge of refrigerant land lubricating oil. To accomplishrthis lwith the apparatus'which has been described a packed wrenchof well-known form designatedgenerally by the numeral 25 can be connectedto the body I of the valve fitting as shown inV FigQl. Such wrenchrcomprises a chambered body 2? tted with a coupling 23 by whichr the body 21 can be tightlyl connected to the end of they body 'I with passage I4 of the latter in communication rwith the interior chamber of the Wrench. Thewrench spindle29 is formed to` engage the socket of valve I9 whenlthe wrench spindle is manually pressed towards the valve.A TheV wrench body 2l is fitted with conduit 'means 39 by which the wrench chamber can be connected to evacuating and charging equipment. 1

1 It' will be observed that when the v'two valves I5 and I9 are opened by rotation ofH valve I9 all parts of both thehigh side andthe low side of the refrigeration system areplaced in'open Y.

communicationwith the chamber 9 of the valve fitting so that the gas or vapor" contents ofthe entire system can readily be evacuated through passage- I4 of the valve iittingwithout the time consuming operation of drawing. a large part of such contents through the capillary expan- Inv evacuating jthesystem, when the ywrench "25 has been connectedto the"`valve device and Arect operation of the valve device.

to evacuating means, the valves I5 and I9, if closed, as shown in Fig. 2, are opened by counterclockwise rotation of valve I9. The resultant opening movements of the two valves will depend upon the condition of tube I8. When the compressor unit and valve device parts are assembled it may happen that the natural unstressed position of resiliently flexible tube I8 is such as to press valve I5 against its seat, or instead it may tend to draw the valve away from its seat. In the first case rotation of valve I9 will move it away from its seat until its right end engages the end of wrench body 2l (the position shown in Fig. 1). Then axial movement of valve I9 will stop and valve I5 will be opened against any resistance exerted by tube I8. When valve I5 has opened to the position shown in Fig. 1 the clip 2U will oppose further opening movement, but it will bend (while offering increasing resistance) until the threads of the two valves disengage, thus limiting the opening movement if the operator has not previously stoppedit.r On later yclockwise rotation of valve I9 to close the valves, clip 29 will restore valve I5 to the position shown in Fig. 1 so it can be engaged by the vthreads of valve I9.

If, in assembly of the apparatus, it chances that tube I8 exerts a pull on valve I5 away from its seat (the second vcase above mentioned), the effect, on opening of the valves ,by rotation of valve I9, will be that valve I5 will open rst and move into engagementwith clip 20, whereupon the valve I9 will open until its transverse cylindrical end surface engages wrench body 21. Thereafter if valve I9 is further rotated the action will be the same as in the first case.

Following evacuation of .the system the conduit means 3U may be connected in turn with sources of refrigerant andlubricant to Ycharge the system. Thereafter, valves I5 and I9 are closed and wrench detached, whereupon passage I4 of the Vvalve device may be closed by screw cap (asindicated by dashed lines in Fig. 2) to keep the passage free of dust or other foreign materials.

It will be apparent that the valve deviceis compact, of simple construction and easy to manufacture. The assembly of the valve device with the compressor vunit is rendered easy by the fact that tube I8 is notk required to position valve I5 in any specic position to insure cors y Also the apparatus isextremelyyeasyito manipulate'to carry out the evacuating and charging operations because one of the two'valves is automatically actuated by the operation of the other and no special skill is required; Sincelthe tube` I8 which connects the'port of thevcomp'ressor with the valve member I5 may take a Yvariety of forms, the valve fitting can vreadily be adapted to a variety of compressor designs. l y

Fig. -showsthe application of ythe invention to a `system in which the valve fitting for effecting evacuation andl charging of the system is interposed'in the low side of the system. In this construction the compressor ,unit 3l comprises a compressor 32 having its discharge port 33 opening into the-chamber of` dome 34- ofthe unit. This chamber is connected through con-,- duit 35 with condenser 36 which in turn is connected with capillary coil 31 through which refrigerant is expanded into ythe .evaporator .38.l The evaporator is in turn' connected by conduit 39 with a valve device 40 which isidentical in construction with the device 6 shown in Fig.

2l' ofthe drawing so that. .the foregoing descrip-- tion of the device 6 will serve for the valvefdevice 40. However in this second form of. construction v.the valve controlling communication between the dome chambera'nd' the inner cham;- ber of the valve-device 40 is connected by flexible tube 4I with: the suction port 'of the compressor. As in the case of Fig. 1 the arrows in- .dicatev the. direction of ilow through the various but presentsja modification of the latter which adapts the invention for use when it is desired to make use of the refrigeration compressor to effect evacuation of the system.

In the modified construction the valve fitting 42l comprises a body structure made upofL a Y main member 43,` a nipple 44, tubular member 45 threaded into one end of main member 43 and a tubular member 5B in the opposite rend of member 43, the ynipple 44 and tubular` member 4&3 being connected byV brazing to the main member.

c The -body structure has an interior chamber 4l with which passage 48 through nipple. 44 is in; free comrmunication-v.` Passage 49 through tubular member` 45 communicates through valve seat 45a with chamber, 41 andk is at all time freely open to the` interior of the compressor y dome E, to which member 43 is connected` by brazing. The passage 5B through tubular member "46 communicates throughy valve, seat 46d with chamber y4l.

A valve 5I disposed partly in chamber 41 and partly in passage 49 is formed to engage valve seat 45a and has an axial passage 52 and branch 'passages 53 that open into chamber'. Thel tube I8 of the apparatus is hermetically connected to the passage 52- of valve 5'I. As 'the first-'described construction, tube I8 prevents rotation of valve 5I .but has an elastic ilexibility that permits the required axial movement of the valve. However, in `the present construction the tube is vformed andassembleduso as to exert on valve 5I a tension (represented inFigs. 7 and 8 by arrow T)` that holds the valve yieldingly in contact with the-seat 45d. c Valve-5131s formed to cooperatealso with a seat the valves for. normalmperationiof therefi'igera'- tionzsystem. By? rotation'of valve-54 in a clockwise direction. saidvalve `willzfirst be unseated (by reason of the aforementioned tension of tube I8) and .then when the valveie'ngages collar 43h valve 5Iv will be withdrawnzfrom seat 45a.. If it is, desired to evacuate and. charge the systemin the manner and byxlthemeans describedrn connectionl with Fig. 1 'andL Fig.l 6, the described opening movement of valve" 5Il will. be terminated before the valve engages seat 43a., and evacuation means connected to passage will then` be in communication with the refrigerationsystem on both sides :of the-capillary: expander. Howevenif it is'dcf si-red` to'evacuate the-'system by .means ofthe compressor thereof it issonly .necessary to openk the valve. 5I until it closeson seaty 43a.y This places the chamber of vdome A in: 'free communication with both the high andv low sides of the system.

vHence operation of the compressor will draw the contents of both sides of the system into the dome chamber and discharge them through tube'l8 and valve fitting 42 to the atmosphere. Thus evacuation of the ysystem eiected exceptv for tube I8 land part of valve chamber 41. This very small `part of thel system canbe quickly purged (after charging with refrigerant) by momentarily opening valve 54.

It is to be understood that the constructions disclosed herein are exemplary and :not to be taken as'dening the scope of the invention, as it may be embodied in other mechanically 'equivalent forms' kwithin the bounds of the .following claims.

Whatis claimed is: 1. In refrigeration apparatus, the combination of a compressor unit comprising a compressor with inlet and discharge ports for refrigeratand a .casing hermetically enclosing at least a portion of the compressor including the said ports thereof; a valve device comprisingy a body structure hermetically connected to an apertured part of the. compressor unit casing, said body having an 43a. whichis formed on the body member 43 and locatedbetween passage 48 and passage 50. The valve 5I if further formed with internal threads to engage the threaded stem of a valve 54 which is disposed in chamber 41 to cooperate with seat 46a and control communication between said chamber and passage 5U. VThe valve body 43 is provided internally with a collar 43h surrounding valve 54 in position to be engaged by the shoulder of said valve. However the valve shoulder is formed with a transverse cylindrical surface that provides diametrically opposite passages 54a so that engagement of the valve shoulder with collar 43h does not stop flow past the collar.

Valve 54 is formed with a wrench socketand by rotation of the said valve in a counter-clockwise direction valves 5I and'54 may be forced against their respective seats 45a and 46a, as shown in Fig.`7 which represents the positions of interior chamber, 'a passage for connecting said chamber with one of the high` and low sides of a .refrigeration system, a second passage with associated valve seat for connecting saidr chamber with thevinterior of the compressor-unitcasing".

a, thirdy passage with associated valve seat ex.-

tending from the said chamber tothe exteriorfof the valve device body, a valve for the second passage arranged lto cooperate with the seat thereof to control flow therethrough between the interior of the compressor unit casing andthe chamber of the valve devicek body, said valve having a part exposed toA the' interior' of the compressor unit casing and being formed with a passage extending through said exposed part and opening into thesaid chamber of the valve device body, avalve .for-the third passage arranged to cooperate with the seat thereof, and means for moving the valves mit opening and closing movements of the valve Y to which it is connected.

2. Apparatus as maimed in daim 1 in which the second and third passages of the valve device body and the two valves controlling them are mutually aligned axially and the means for moving the two valves comprise screw threads thereon mutually connecting the valves together,

whereby both yvalvtscan bemanually operated by -rotation of theivalve controlling the third passage.

`3.' Apparatus asclaimed in claim 2 in which one'o the two valves is constructed to cooperate with the valve device body, when the second and third passages are open, to stop communication between the rst and third passages of the said body while' permitting communication between the rst and second .passages and between Vthe said conduit and the third passage.

4. Apparatus as .claimed in claim 1 in which one of the two valves is constructed to cooperate with the valve device body, when the second and third passages are open, to stop .communication between the first and third passages of the said body while permitting communication between the rfirst and second passages and between the said conduit andthe third passage.

y5. rApparatus as claimed vin claim 1 in which the second and third passages of the valve device body and the two valves controlling them are mutually aligned axially, with the Valves constructed to close in opposite directions, and the means for moving the two. valves comprise screw threads thereon mutually connecting the valves together, whereby both .valves can be manually operated by rotation oi the valve controlling the third passage.

.6. Apparatus as claimed'in claim 1 with the conduit interposed` between the compressor and the valve device connected to the discharge port or" the compressor.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim l -with the conduit interposed between the compressor and the Valve device connected to the intake lport of the compressor. f

:8. In closed circuit refrigeration apparatus, the combination of. a lvalve device body'. structure having an. interiorchamber,` a .rst passage in free communication with said chamber and leading to the exterior of the body, a secondfpassage with associated valve seat in communicationwith the interior chamber and leading to the exterior or the body and a third passage with associated valve seat also in communication with the interior chamber and leading to the exterior of the body; a valve for the second .passage of the body structure arranged to cooperate with the seat thereof to control flow between the valve and the wall of the passage, said valve being exposed through the second passage to the exterior of the valve body and being formed with a passage opening at one end through the exposed part of the valve for hermetic connection to an end of a conduit disposed `outside the valve body and opening at its other end into the interior chamber of the valve body; a valve arranged to cooperate with the seat of the third passage' to con'- trol now therethrough; -and manually operable means for moving the valves relative to their seats.

9. Apparatus as. claimed in claim 8 in which the manually operable means for moving the two valves operatively interconnects them and acts to hold them in open positions simultaneously and, alternatively, in closed positions simultaneously. y

l0. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the valve for the third passage is accessible through said passage and formed to receive a separable exterior operating tool.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which the second and third passages of the valve device body and the two Valves controlling them are mutually aligned axially and the means for moving the two valves comprise screw threads thereon mutually connecting the valves together, whereby both valves can be manually operated by rotation of the valve controlling the third passage.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which the second and third passages ci the valve device body and the two valves controllingv them are mutually `aligned axially with the valves constructed to close in opposite directions and the means for moving the two valves comprise screw threads thereon mutually connecting the valves together, whereby both valves can be manually operated by rotation of the valve controlling the third passage.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which the two valves are constructed to cooperate with the valve device body, when the second and third passages are open, to stop communication between the rst and third passages of the said lbody while permitting communication between the iirst and secondVV passages and between the passage lthrough the valve of thesecond passage and the third passage.

EDWARD M. MAY.

REFERENCES CITED The `following references are of record in the rile of this patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name f Date 973,450' Miller Oct. 18, 1910 999,536 Woodward Aug. 1,r 1911 1,964,565v Thurber June 10, 1913 1,328,780 Barker Jan. 20, 1920 1,432,527 `Burdett Oct. 1'7, 1922 2,006,712 l Forbes et al July 2, 1935 2,130,862 Steenstrup Sept. 20, 1938 2,132,928 Gunderson Octf'4, 1938 2,395,065 Rataiczak Feb. 19, 1946 2,464,563 vDoeg Mar. 15, 1949 2,497,668 Grumatt Feb. 14, 1950 

